OTTAWA—The Conservative senator who has come under fire for his handling of the investigation into suspicious travel and living expenses will step down as chair of the powerful Senate committee this week.

Sen. David Tkachuk told his colleagues he will resign as chair of the committee on internal economy, budgets and administration following its Thursday meeting to undergo preventative treatment for bladder cancer this summer.

“I think it’s really important I have no stress and I give it all the opportunity to succeed, because if it doesn’t succeed, the consequences aren’t that good, so that’s what I’m doing and that’s all there is to it,” Tkachuk told reporters Tuesday after explaining to his Senate colleagues his weekly treatments may mean he’ll be unable to attend meetings this summer to deal with a report on the travel expenses of Sen. Pamela Wallin.

Tkachuk has come under heavy criticism for how the committee handled its response to the alleged spending abuses by Sen. Mike Duffy.

The senator from Saskatchewan was accused of tipping off Duffy about an independent auditor’s finding that he had improperly claimed a daily allowance while vacationing in Florida, as well as leading efforts to remove harsh language — called a “whitewash” by his political opponents — from its report after he reimbursed taxpayers $90,172.

That decision to alter the report came under greater scrutiny after it was revealed that Nigel Wright, then chief of staff to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, had actually been the one to repay taxpayers by cutting Duffy a personal cheque.

On Tuesday, Tkachuk was combative as he said he had no regrets.

“The press can decide if they want to be the propaganda arm of the Liberal party. They said it was a whitewash. The press carried that message,” said Tkachuk.

Tkachuk, who will remain a member of the internal economy committee, also stood by his reason for changing the original report: that Duffy, despite reading and signing the same forms as fellow senators Mac Harb and Patrick Brazeau, who were also found to be improperly billing taxpayers for living expenses, had repaid the money.

“I though that was a very positive thing that he had paid it all back and I hope the other two senators pay it back,” Tkachuk said Tuesday.

The committee later agreed to restore most of the original language from the report — and refer its findings to the RCMP — after a closer look at Duffy’s expenses unearthed more troubling expense claims.

Meanwhile, Tkachuk said he would be open to allowing the media and the public to observe his last meeting as chair Thursday, when Deloitte auditors are expected to explain why their review of Wallin’s expenses is taking so long.

“I don’t see any reason why it shouldn’t be, but I will have to consult with my colleagues on the other side and make sure we all agree,” Tkachuk said.

Liberal Senate leader James Cowan said he wants the meeting to be open.

“They’re going to give a progress report on the process that they’re following with respect to Sen. Wallin. They’re not giving any of the details of what they find or expect to find,” Cowan said in an interview Tuesday.

“I think there are a lot of questions about why they’re taking this long and when do we expect to be finished and that sort of thing, so I see no reason why that wouldn’t be done in public,” Cowan said.

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